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Old 02-07-2019, 06:55 PM   #1
Kbs
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Tow vs rent

Hi

We are having a “lively” discussion concerning tow dolly vs car rental. We are planning a 3 month sojourn to the west coast this spring. Beginning in national parks and ending... well who knows where ... Follow up trips to east coast Canada etc. are planned for future. the rv is a Thor class c 31 with the v10 power plant. So pulling is not an issue. Renting for the short term is cost effective. For those experienced travelers, what are your thoughts?? If we were wintering in one place it makes perfect sense to tow, but with multiple moves is it worth it?... all comments are appreciated

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Old 02-07-2019, 07:01 PM   #2
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I don't have the answer as I am new to driveable rv's. We've camped for years with a travel trailer, but just recently bought a class c, so I will be interested in the answers you get.
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Old 02-07-2019, 07:01 PM   #3
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Such a judgment call and depending on what you want to do when you get where you're going. Are rentals available everywhere you will need one? If Enterprise isn't available in the area, how will you get to your rental? That would be the first questions. Things become pretty "slim pickins" the more remote you go. One nice thing about a toad...when your many miles form nowhere and have a breakdown...you at least have an option. I'm all about fixed options...the more the better.
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Old 02-07-2019, 07:30 PM   #4
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That really is a personal decision and one that may change with experience. Our first year with our Axis we rented and have since towed using a dolly.

You can rent a lot of cars for the price of a towing setup (dolly or 4-down). You'll also always have a relatively new car to drive. However, like Gritz mentions, is renting easily available from where you're at? Will a car be available when you want one?

On the other hand; If you bring your own car with you: Its your car that you are comfortable with (or not?). You know its history. There is a fixed cost (the cost of setup) then nothing (well gas but you have to pay that too renting) thus the longer you camp the more cost effective bringing your car along becomes. (The decrease in mpg from towing a car on the V-10 is lost in the noise/negligible.) You'll also have to deal with breakdowns yourself or with a service you already have.

You can also compare the hassle of hooking up/breaking down and compare that with the hassle of renting (when towing 4-down there really is no hassle its like a 1 minute job).
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Old 02-07-2019, 07:52 PM   #5
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We don't tow because our rv is limited in the weight it can handle and secondly because we can get into and out of nearly anywhere a pickup can. That was a consideration when we decided on our rv. However, if we had decided on a bigger MH I would probably tow if there were other reasons for owning the toad.

The cost of a toad does not stop when it is being towed. It goes on as long as you own it.
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Old 02-07-2019, 08:05 PM   #6
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We're going to be using the "Rent" option for the foreseeable future...
(We'll be towing a small trailer with our golf cart)
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Old 02-07-2019, 08:46 PM   #7
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If a rental agency is close for most places we want to see, we rent. If we are going to a car show or out were there are no rental agencies, we tow what we show or which vehicle we tow considering the weather and terrain.
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Old 02-07-2019, 09:28 PM   #8
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Our first motor home was a 1987 Damon Escaper on a Toyota Hilux chassis so we couldn't tow anything. We learned quickly that having a toad was a necessity. It allows for grocery runs, sightseeing, and as gritz mentioned provides for instant mobility in case of a mechanical issue while under way. Having to rent a vehicle on every trip would be a pain in the neck.
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Old 02-07-2019, 09:35 PM   #9
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Gritz mentioned it depends on where you go and what you want to do. That's my thought as well. We have a toad and a dolly, but we do not take it everywhere we go.

We took a quick trip to PA to see the Steelers play. We rented a car just outside Pittsburgh to get to the game. The rental place was on the way into and out of the campground. So it seemed reasonable for a relatively quick trip where we only intended to use the care for a few hours. I had to pass by there twice anyway.

We took a short instate trip to a state park. We towed there because we had kayaks on top and shuttled them with the car. This summer we will be in Colorado Springs with the toad, because I want to explore the mountains and who knows what else I might find. We will spend 2 weeks going out there and back, and I want to have the freedom to go where I want when I want. When we go to Disney World we tow or not tow depending on plans there and along the way.

My point is this...consider the whole trip. Doesn't really matter the length of the trip necessarily. In a national park are you going to want to sit at the campground or explore and see things? If you want to see things can you rent what you need when you want it? Might not be so easy in a national park. It changes my fuel mileage so little I don't even take that into consideration for towing. But rentals can add up quick if I get somewhere and really want to explore.
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Old 02-07-2019, 09:37 PM   #10
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And have you ever set up somewhere just to realize there is something you NEED, and a grocery store or Wal-Mart is only a short 8 mile walk away? If you have your toad..zip zip you're done.
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Old 02-07-2019, 09:55 PM   #11
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Agreed with others...

My thinking is that if this is a day or two at each place then you might find that you may only rarely wish you had a car. In which case it would make sense to rent a few days while you're there...say for example a big city planning lots of things downtown....then you'd maybe want to rent a car. We've done plenty of big-urban things in the RV

Generally we find it not such a big deal to break camp and drive or MH to the store or to the destination for the day. Typically in those cases we just don't set up much. Often I may only plug in electric for air conditioning and not even bother connecting the water hose...and don't bother with the patio rug and chairs. On the other hand if I were parking it at a place with a view, and planned to stay a while I'd prob want to set up a bit more.

Also, 31ft MH I'll bet you might find that you are a bit tow limited. That rear axle is likely overloaded, or nearly so... + mine only has a 5,000# hitch...but I understand newer ones have better.
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Old 02-07-2019, 10:03 PM   #12
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kbs...What are the subjects of your lively discussions and how do you see renting vs. towing? What would justify one over the other? The few comments here have pretty much summed up the differences.
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Old 02-07-2019, 10:18 PM   #13
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our experience is this:

we've towed our vehicles, originally using a tow dolly for a few short months, and now having towed 4-down for over 100,000 miles, and see that having a vehicle is sometimes important, but most of the time not, especially when 'vacationing', versus 'full timing'...having done both, for many months at the time.

and while we've towed our vehicles many different trips, many thousands of miles, we did NOT tow one to Alaska and back, over 13,000 miles from Georgia. We really rarely would have 'needed' it, and it would probably have been more of a waste of mpg to have it, even for those 'just in case' dreaded worry moments we all have when planning a long trip. We didn't miss it, and our motorhome, with 6 wheels, took us anywhere we 'really' wanted to go.

I think with a 31' Class C vehicle you need not worry about having another 'vehicle' to tow around. Will you have one moment on the trip that you wish you did? Sure. But the vast majority of the time you'll be happy with only being concerned about the vehicle you are driving, not the one attached to the rear, especially since you'll save quite a few dollars over all of those miles. You can then more easily justify taking a 'tour', making use of a local rental car, or even the occasional 'taxi'... though I bet you never actually do.

Your RV has 6 wheels, too... use them to get you where you want to go. Many might suggest that you are 'missing out' by having a long vehicle that is hard to find parking for, or that might not 'fit' in certain places, but it's doubtful you'll really see any of those hardships - just go with it : )


enjoy

**many of my towing miles were also racked up while transporting brand new gas and diesel coaches to dealers from the factories - that's the time you DO certainly want a tow vehicle (otherwise, getting back home would be quite the pain!)
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Old 02-07-2019, 10:23 PM   #14
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Do you like to be self-sufficient or rely or others?
Do you like to have a backup plan in place ICO emergency or rely on others?
Do you like to know costs before you spend or just like to pay the going rate whatever it may be at wherever it may be?
Do you like to make things convenient for yourself or rely on others for your convenience?

Our answers put us in the 4 down toad camp.
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Old 02-07-2019, 10:36 PM   #15
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and to add:

I think any of us with 4-down tow experience and a vehicle that's already setup for towing may have a different view, because we've already gone thru the 'expense' of the setup, and therefore the only drawback may be the lower mpg while towing...

but, if you've not towed before, the expense and the aggravation may be way more than you are bargaining for...it's not impossible of course, it just doesn't seem practical for more of a 'vacation' trip, where so much travel is involved.
You would need to either purchase, or rent, a tow dolly. You would have the great pleasure of learning how to 'drive onto' the dolly, crawl around underneath the strap the wheels, and pull thru the chains, and also be very limited on any 'backing' you may find yourself needed to do while fueling or at rv parks and campgrounds. You'll also need to understand that the tow dolly needs a 'home' when you have it detached - not always easy and certainly not always simple.

I would go with NO, but if you find when you return that you'd need one, try it on your next trip.
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Old 02-07-2019, 10:37 PM   #16
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We’ve done the rental thing for about a year. Probably spent less than $500. Nevertheless I am currently getting set up to flat tow our Ford Focus. I’ll have about $2500 in the set up so the math is not especially compelling. For us, having a car has become a real convenience on longer trips. For some trips we plan to just bring our mopeds instead of the car. My research suggested that I could dolly tow for about 2/3 of the set up cost but I don’t want to have to deal with a heavy and bulky dolly either at camp sites or (especially) at home. And I’ve watched folks hitch up with a dolly and it doesn’t look like fun. Especially in the rain. All said it’s really quite a personal decision depending on your preferences, interests and budget. Good luck.
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Old 02-07-2019, 10:48 PM   #17
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Give us a break here kbs...time for the mid-term exam. See Post #12.
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Old 02-07-2019, 11:15 PM   #18
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Old 02-08-2019, 02:10 AM   #19
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We haven't graduated to a toad, dolly or not, we have thought about it.
One day when we aren't hauling a motorcycle or two in the garage part and it can be a dedicated bedroom while on the road!
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Old 02-08-2019, 04:40 AM   #20
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Hi All

Great feedback from the community,!
We had a 24 ft that was like a big van so didn’t need another vehicle and our trips were short excursions before heading back to work. Now however with the bigger unit it is a bit more of a challenge getting about and with us now retired (yea) our trips will be longer.
So leaning toward hauling a vehicle, probably a dolly as our cars arn’t toad-able.
Thanks again for the input as always this group provides fantastic and sometimes hilarious feedback
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